Invalid-bedstead



(No Model.)

R. T. WHITE.

INVALID BEDSTEAD.

No 276,515. Patented Apr. 24, l 8 83,

N. ?FI'ERS, mam-Manna. wmin m n. c.

. UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

REYNOLDS r. WHITE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

lNVALlD-B EDSTEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,515, dated April24., 1883.

Application filed June 28, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, REYNOLDS T. WHITE, ofBoston, in the county of Sufiolk and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Invalid-Bedsteads, of whichthefollowingis a specification;

The object of my invention is to produce an invalidbedstead whereby thepatient can be placed in any desired position, and to which a canopy andwheels can be attached, so that the same can be used as a carriage, andwhen not in use can be folded into a small compass, so as to be easy'oftransportation or storage.

The invention consistsof ashallow rectangular frame which is supportedby folding legs pivoted thereto, the head legs or supports consisting oflong pieces pivoted to the frame near the foot portion and extendingtoward the head. To these long pieces is pivoted one end of a frame, theother end of which takes into a crook or socket attached to a slidingframe which works in guides on the sides of the rectangular frame,thesliding frame being operated by a screw in such a manner that whenturned in one direction it tions, so that the headportion can be raisedto any inclination desired by means of a crank and handle or screw, thebody portion being stationary and the foot portion being made to riseor. be lowered, as desired, by means of a crank.

It further consists in dividing the mattress at each end into halves,thus making the mat-' tress so that it shall be of thelthickness of anordinary mattress in the middle and like two thin mattresses on the. topof each other at the ends, by which arrangement the mattress is moreeasily adapted to the relative positions'of the three bearing-surfacesof the bedstead.

Referring to the'drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section of abedstead made according to my invention with the head and foot sectionsraised. Fig. 2 is a plan of same. Fig. 3 is a partial side view andsection,'showing the wheel attachment and a modification of the meansfor raising the head-rest and foot-rest. Fig. 4 is a view of the frontwheels and method of attachment. Fig. 5 is a view of one of the sidewheels, springs, and method of attachment.

A-is a rectangular frame-say about eight inches deep-to which arepivoted, near the foot, two long pieces or legs, B, which extend towardthe head, and are of such a length as to fold within the frame A, and tothese legs B is pivoted one end of the frame G, the other end of whichtakes into a piece of metal, D, bent into the form shown, so as to forma crook or socket for the ends'of the frame 0. The 7 sockets D aresecured to a sliding frame, E, which works in guides at a on the sidesof the frame A. To this sliding frame E is attached a nut, b, throughwhich'the screw 0 works. The outer end of the screw is secured to and soas to turn freely in the frame A, and is made square at the outer endfor thehandle d to fit on to turn the same, so that by turning thehandle d in one direction the screw 0 will draw the sliding frame Etoward the head of the bedstead and force out the frame 0, together withthe leg B, until the desired height or inclination of the frame A isattained, and by turning the handle in the opposite direction thesliding frame E is forced toward the center of the bedstead, and .theframe A is thus lowered until the leg B is folded within the frameA.When the wheels are attached the leg B is drawn up into the frame A.,

The foot-legs F are pivotedto the frame A,

and are made the length that it is desired to have for the normal heightof the bedstead, and so that they will fold up clear of the leg B. Thelegs F when extended are held in position by means of the braces e,which are hooked onto studs on the legs B.

G is a head-rest, which is raised and lowered by means of two arms,f, ona rod, 9, which is operated by a handle, E. This handle is composed of aflat bent piece of metal, It, with a wooden block, 43, fixed thereto totake hold of, and has pivoted to it a short lever, j, on the end ofwhichis a stud or pin, which passes through the piece h into holes formed inthe side of the frame A. On the opposite side of the pivot, between thelever j and the piece h, is placed a spring, which keeps that endpressed out, and consequently forces the pin into one of the holes inthe frame A. The head-rest Gr may be operated by a screw, as shown inFig. 3. In this case the arms f are bent at right angles at their endsand take into loops or staples on the under side of the head-rest. Therod g is secured to a block, 70, which is free to slide in guides. Tothe bottom of the block 70 is secured a nut, Z, through which works thescrew m in a similar manner to that described withreference to the screw0.

H is a foot-rest, which is capable of being raised above, as shown infull lines, Fig. 1, or lowered below the ordinary level, as shownindotted lines. To operate this rest I employ a rod, a, bent into the formof a crank, (best seen iuFig. 2,) the ends of this cranked rod havingtheir hearings in the frame A. One end of said rod is formed square,onto which is fitted a handle, H, made as before described. This crankit is fastened near one end of the foot-rest by means of loops orstaples and at the other end of the foot-rest are pivoted two arms, 9,which are secured at their other ends to blocks q, attached to the innersides of the frame A. By this arrangement the foot-rest H is keptparallel with the frame; or the footrest H may be operated by means of ascrew,

T, and sliding frame U, as shown in Fig. 3. The frame U is free to slidein guides u, and

has secured to it a nut, 12, through which the screw T works. Thefoot-rest H is connected to the sliding frame U by the arms 1) n, andone end bears or slides against a curved block or guide, V, which causesit to rise when the screw is turned in the direction to draw the frame Utoward the foot end of the bedstead, and lower when the screw is turnedin the reverse direction. In some cases when it is desired to have thefoot-rest higher at one end than the other, the arms 10 may be made toextend, as shown in dotted lines,,Fig. 1, and provided with a long slot,through which a thumbscrew is passed for securing the same in anydesired position.

For operating the head or footrest, or both, instead of the handle H, aquadrant with notches in its face, into which a spring takes for holdingit in any desired position, might be employed; or a worm-wheel might be.fit-- ted on the ends of the rod 9 or it, into which a worm takes, sothat by turning the worm the rest would be raised or lowered, asdesired..

To each corner of the frame A, I fix sockets I, into which are fittedstandards J, which carry the drapery S. The standards J are formed witha shoulder to fit onto the frame. Below the shoulder they are made of anangur lar form, so as to fit into the openings left between the socketsI and the corners of the frame A. They thus fit around the corners ofthe frame A, and the standards J are made to spring outward, so thatwhen the canvas is placed on the top all sagging is prevented.

Any kind of drapery may be employed as desired or required.

To adapt the bedstead for out-of-door use, I attach wheels L M at thefront and sides of the frame A. The front wheels, L, are carried by theswiveled brace N, Fig. 4, the upper end of which passes through anopening in the clamp P, and is secured by the nut 19, so that the axlewill be free to turn in any direction. The clamp P has also on its lowerside a lip, which passes up inside the frame A, so that when thethumb-screw is turned down to bear upon a plate on the top of the frameA, the clamp P will be securely held on the frame. A handle can beattached to the axle-shaft Q, so that the bedstead can be drawn by handor otherwise. The clamp P, which carries the large hind wheels, isprovided with a box at its side, in which a spring, q, is fitted. It isalso provided with a V- shaped groove, into which the bossr, whichcarries the wheel M, fits. To the top of the boss 1' a short rod, s, isconnected, which passes up through the spring-box, and is provided witha head, so that when any irregularity of the road occurs the spring willyield, and thus prevent any sudden shock to the patient.

The mattress K is made in two parts separated horizontally, as shown, ateach end for about one-third the length of the mattress, more or less,the central portion being made solid, as in the ordinary mattress, bymeans of which construction the mattress will yield and adj ustv itselfreadily to the various changes in the position of the head and footrests and the body of the occupant.

In the drawings 1 have shown slats for sup,- porting the mattress; butsacking, springs,or other suitable supports may be employed.

What I claim as my invention is 1'. An adjustable invalid-bedsteadconsisting of the rectangular frame A, with. headrest G, foot-rest H,and leg B, in combination with the frame 0, sliding frame E, the screw0, and nut I), substantially as shown and described.

2. In an invalid-bedstead, the combination,

with the frame A, of the foot-rest H, the arms 9, blocks q, andcrank-rod n, substantially as shown and described.

3. In aninvalid-bedstead, the sliding frame E, the guides to a, thescrew 0, and nut 12, and rectangular frame A, substantially as shown anddescribed.

.4. In an invalid-bedstead, the handle-H, provided with the spring-leverj, in combination with the bars 9 and a, substantially as shown, and forthe purpose described.

5. The mattress K, constructed with the divided head and foot portions,and made solid at the central portion, substantially as shown anddescribed.

6. In an invalid-bedstead, the combination, with the frame A, of thewheels L, the axle Q,-

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

REYNOLDS T. WHITE.

Witnesses:

E. PLANTA, L. W. HOW-ES.

